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Lets look at ESPNs Basketball Power Index?for what to expect this season on some key questions. BPI is a statistical projection system that ESPNs sports analytics team uses to simulate the entire NBA season 10,000 times every day. The BPI simulations provide a window into what to expect as the 2016-17 season unfolds.No surprise that the preseason BPI put the Warriors at the top of the league, or that the most likely NBA Finals matchup is a third consecutive Warriors vs. Cavaliers series (29 percent). Looking more closely at the data, however, allows us to offer some perspective on some of the more interesting questions this offseason has posed:Can the Warriors match their 73-win performance? Not likely. Despite replacing Harrison Barnes with Kevin Durant for Death Lineup 2.0, BPI is projecting the Warriors to win 62 games and gives them less than a one percent chance to win 73 or more games.In no way does this diminish how good the Warriors are going to be, but rather puts last years incredible regular season into perspective. They were a great team, but to get to 70-plus wins, some luck was involved (especially in terms of close games, injuries and scheduling), and there is no reason that everything that went right for the Warriors last season will go their way again this season.Will the experiment in Chicago work? Maybe. The Bulls have assembled a roster that has most people wondering how Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, and Jimmy Butler will play together and if Paul Zipser can have the breakout season that no one is expecting.BPI ranks the Bulls 20th overall and projects them to be below average on both ends of the court. But Chicagos schedule is the eighth-easiest in the league. BPI gives the mysterious Bulls a 42 percent chance of making the playoffs and projects them to win 39 games.What should we expect from the Durant-less Thunder? Another playoff appearance. BPI puts the angriest team in the league squarely in the playoffs (81 percent chance) and ranks them eighth overall.They will likely be carried by a 2000-01 Allen Iverson-type performance from Russell Westbrook. Look for Westbrook to challenge usage-rate records while leading what BPI projects to be the third-best offense in the league.Despite having a defense that is projected to be below average, the Thunder still have a 7 percent chance of returning to the conference finals. That may not seem high, but considering that two of their three best players were replaced by Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova, it would be truly remarkable for OKC to be one of the last four teams standing.Can anyone win the Finals besides the Cavaliers and Warriors? Yes. Collectively, the Warriors and the Cavaliers have a 68 percent chance of being crowned champion at the end of the season. That is the same odds that Hassan Whiteside has of making a free throw -- so it is possible someone else can pull it off.Behind the top two, the leading contenders according to BPI are the Spurs (13 percent), the Celtics (6 percent) and the Clippers (5 percent).BPI gives us a peak through all of the noise of the offseason to get a sense of what we may be about to witness as the 2016-17 season unfolds. Cant wait to see what actually happens.For more analytics content, head to ESPN.com/analytics. Brendan Guhle Jersey . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Nicolas Deslauriers Jersey . JOHNS, N. https://www.cheapducks.com/497c-samuel-pahlsson-jersey-ducks.html . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Anaheim Ducks Gear . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Ryan Getzlaf Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. One week into conference play and only one Division I team remains unbeaten. An unranked team pulled off back-to-back upsets of its top-10 opponents. And one under-the-radar program is exceeding all expectations. Dig in to get caught up on all things NCAA volleyball.And then there was oneWe started last week with five undefeated teams and ended it with one. Defending national champion Nebraska (11-0), still No. 1 in this weeks American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, remains unscathed after victories at No. 22 Michigan and No. 18 Michigan State. The Cornhuskers have won 27 straight dating back to last season.But credit the Spartans for coming away with an almost win over Nebraska for the second year in a row. Michigan State was the last team to extend Nebraska to five sets when the two played in East Lansing on Nov. 11, 2015, and Spartans did it again on Saturday.Both times, Nebraska needed a 16-14 fifth set to survive.The Cornhuskers climbed out of an 0-2 hole this time and trailed 13-8 in a third set they ultimately won 25-20. Credit sophomore outside hitter Olivia Boender for providing a much-needed boost when she entered the match in the third set.Last years final four Most Outstanding Player Mikaela Foecke finished with a season-best 17 kills; Kadie Rolfzen had 16 kills and nine digs. The sophomore and senior have played all 37 sets to lead Nebraska offensively in kills. But Boender is a potent weapon off the bench. In eight sets, she leads the team in kills per set (3.5) and hitting percentage (.543).Four others teams entered last week unbeaten. Washington fell to Washington State (see below); East Carolina lost to SMU and Tulsa; South Carolina was beaten by Missouri; and Weber State fell to Sacramento State.Illinois (9-4) will be the next Big Ten team that gets a shot at Nebraska. The Illini are hot, having won seven straight, including a five-setter over Purdue on Wednesday, their first victory over a top-10 opponent since the 2014 season, when they beat Nebraska.The teams play Wednesday in Champaign.A weekend to remember for Washington StateThe Cougars, picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12, made quite a statement last weekend. For starters, Washington State handed rival Washington, ranked fourth at the time, its first loss of the season, defeating the Huskies in four sets. Then, the Cougars backed up that win by knocking off another top-10 opponent in UCLA, ranked ninth at the time, in five sets.To add to the satisfaction, both were road games for Washington State (12-2), checking in at No. 17 in this weeks poll.It was the first time the Cougars had won in Seattle since 2001 and their first victory over Washington since 2009.Blue collar, is how Cougars senior Kyra Holt describes her school, which has roughly 15,000 fewer students than Washington. Located in Pullman, about five hours east of Seattle, Washington State is just a few miles shy of the Idaho state line.Its a rivalry in every sport, said Jen Greeny, who earned her first win over the Huskies since being named head coach six years ago.Two nights later, Greenys Cougars came out on top over UCLA, another milestone. The last time the Cougars beat the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion, Greenys last name was Stinson and she wore the Cougar uniform. It was 1997.My dad was at the trip, and he took a picture of the scoreboard, Greeny said. Andy Banachowski was the [UCLA] coach, they had won a bunch of national championships, and that was a big step for our program.The Cougars limited the Bruins to .190 hitting, and more significantly, didnt falter in going the distance. For the first time in 12 five-setters, Washington State was able to pull out the win, its first five-set win since Aug. 30, 2014 over Cal Poly at the University of Montana Invitational.Washington State (11-2), ranked third in the NCAA in blocks, moved from a 5-1 to a 6-2 offense for the first time under Greeny.Having another weapon as a hitter has really helped our offensive numbers, she said.Washington State opens the Pac-12 at 2-0 for the first time since 2003. A date with Stanford at Bohler Gym awaits on Friday. The Cardinal is ranked No. 1 inn blocking.ddddddddddddobcats program on the riseThe feel-good story in volleyball belongs to Quinnipiac, a program in danger of being eliminated just six years ago.The Bobcats were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team MAAC -- no surprise given their 3-28 record last season, 2-31 the season before and 5-26 in 2013.Guess whos 13-5 with a 5-0 mark in conference with a six-game win streak, the best in its Division I program history?When my class was recruited, we were told we were going to change the program and it would be really hard work, Bobcats senior Allison Leigh said. Weve been through difficult times, but Im so glad I get to see the program turn around before I leave.In March 2009, the school announced plans to drop volleyball, but it was saved thanks to a Title IX lawsuit. Kris Czaplinski, in his fifth season as coach, has turned the program around, adding assistant Chad Davis, who enjoyed national success as a club coach in Florida, and key recruits in setter Maria Pansari, outside hitter Natalie Alechko and libero Alejandra Rodriguez, all freshmen.Each has played all 67 sets, and Leigh is back from an ankle injury that sidelined her for all but three matches in 2015.The Bobcats also boast revamped locker rooms, new lights and a new floor in their gym, Burt Kahn Court in Hamden, Connecticut.Our gym was the most old-fashioned in the conference, Leigh said. We had old bleachers and the lighting was a dark yellow color. When we came in this year, they had redone the floor, and it was brand new beautiful lighting. Were proud of our home court and we play really well here now.Leigh said communication on court has improved to the point that were calling out the plays the other team is running before theyre running them. Were much more prepared and we have depth this year that weve never had before.On Saturday, the Bobcats defeated Iona for the first time in 13 tries only days after beating Siena for the first time in 15 attempts. Quinnipiac followed that up with a sweep of Manhattan on Sunday.The Jaspers had beaten Quinnipiac all six times the teams have played as conference foes, sweeping nine sets in their three meetings last year.This is a whole new feeling, Leigh said. Its surreal. I feel very proud and motivated to work harder.Florida making quiet noise in the SECExpectations were high for Florida in 2015, but the Gators ended the season fourth in the SEC, disappointing for a team with final four expectations and 21 conference titles under coach Mary Wise.After a 3-1 season-opening to loss to Nebraska, the fifth-ranked Gators are perfect since. The string includes 3-1 victories over Oregon and Florida State, a sweep at Michigan State and wins over Ole Miss and Alabama to open conference play last weekend.Florida has held 10 of its 13 opponents under a .200 clip, and limited a Crimson Tide team, which had upset Texas A&M on Friday, to .196 efficiency. Meanwhile, Florida is ranked first nationally in hitting percentage (.352).The Gators put their streak of 12 straight on the line on Wednesday against Kentucky. The teams split last season with each winning on the others floor.Kansas cant solve Gregory GymIn a match of 2015 final four teams, national runner-up Texas ruled again, defeating Kansas in four sets.No. 8 Kansas has come up empty in all 25 of its trips to Gregory Gym in Austin.The fourth-ranked Longhorns (10-2) were dominant behind outside hitter Ebony Nwanebu -- .514 hitting with 20 kills. Freshman Micaya White had 22 kills and senior Paulina Prieto Cerame, 12.Coach Jerritt Elliott, whose team was beaten the prior weekend in Austin by Wisconsin, continues to stress defense.Our numbers that were hitting are some of the best weve ever had at Texas, he said. But our defensive numbers arent as good.Also last week, Elliott received a contract extension through 2018 along with a $67,500 pay increase for his base salary, adjusting his total compensation to $367,500 for 2016-17. He is nine victories shy of his 400th victory at Texas. ' ' '